Motion picture projector



5 LSheets-Sheet l W. L. WRIGHT ET AL MOTION PICTURE ROJECTOR' Filed June l, 1926 Aug.l 4, v1931.

Aug. 4, 1931. w. LWRIGHT ET AL MOTION PICTURE PROJECTOR Filed June 1, 1925 5 sheets-sheet 2 A ug. 4, 1931.

w.` l.. WRIGHT ET AL, 1,817,026 MOTION PICTURE PROJECTOR Filed June l', 1926 v3 Sheets-Sheet 5" nuuuunnuuuuunuu nnnununuhuuluuuu i A,8/ o lv- An Patented Aug.- 4,1931

UNITED STATES PATE-NT OFFICE WALTER L. WRIGHT AND qS'lANTO-ll' 1111. WRIGHT, OF LOS ANGELES, ALIIEORNIA MOTION PICTURE PROJECTOR ApplicationL led .Tune 1, 1926. Serial No. 112,969.

-This invention has to do .with a motion picture projector and has particular referj ence to a 'projector for projecting colored motion pictures, 1 .An object of this invention is to provide a simple, effective and ractical apparatus forvsimultaneously projecting a plurality of, ictures-onto a screen in register.

y nother object of this invention is to prolo vide a projector in which the parts are arranged and related so that the heat generatedA at the source of light does not endanger the film.. j

A further object of' the invention is to 1b' provide a simple, 'effective and practical means for handling a shaft of light coming from a single source to project it through a plurality of spaced pictures to project themonto the/screen in register.

A further ob'ect of this invention is to provide means or projecting three ictures adjoiningveach other on a single fi m onto a single screen in register through three lenses of standard form.

It is another object of this invention to provide a projector of the character mentioned with various improved combinations of parts and features or' construction.

The objects and features of our present invention will be best understood from lthe following detailed description of a typical form and application'v of the invention, throughout which description wemake reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: v

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the projector.

Fig. 2 is a vertical detailed sectional view 'of a portion` of lthe projector, being a view taken substantially as indicated by line 2-2 l on Fig. 4. l

Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the projector, being a View taken as indicated by line 3.--3 on Fig. 1. l

Fig. 4 is a view of the projector taken as .indicated by line 4-4 on Fig. 1.

Fig.v 5 is a plan section, taken asindicated by line 5-5 on Fig. 4.

Fig.. 6 isan enlarged plan section taken as indicated by line 6-,6.on Fig. 4? andl the light after it has been Fig. 7 is an enlarged detailed sectional view of a modified form of construction.

The present invention relates, generally, to motion picture projectors, and provides various features of arrangements and construction applicable generally to motion picture projectors. More specically, our infor handling film of the particular character just mentioned, it being understood that we `do not wish the broader features of the invention to be construed as limited to, or by, the details we may mention.

The apparatus embodying our invention includes, generally, a source of light, 10,

film handling means 11, light distributing means 12 for receiving light from the source 10 and directing it through a plurality of pictures on the film F, handled by the means 11, Aand an optical system 13 for handling the film. v

The source of light 10, may, as far as our invention is concerned, generally, be any ordinaryV or standard source of light, such as is` suitable for apparatus of this general character. For purpose of example we will consider the source of light 10 in the form of an ordinary electric arc, mounted in a suitable lamp house 14, provided at its front with a condenser lens 15 for projecting a slightly convergent shaft of light from the arc.

The film handling means 11 may be lsimilar, generally, to that employed in projecting apparatus, in that it may include a frame 16, a vertically disclosed aperture plate 17 carried by the frame, film carr ing sprockets. 18, mounted at either end o the aperture plate, suitably arranged ilm guiding rollers 19,A drive means for thefilm sprockets and various parts and devices familiar to those skilled in the art. The drive projected through means may include ajtrain of gears 20 and an. intermittent movement device (not shown) with film engaging means operable to intermittently advance the iilm past the aperture plate inl proper synchronism with the said sprockets 18. In this particular 4disclosure we arev considering the film vF as carrying a plurality of series of pictures, the

pictures of each seriesbeing of different colored portions or l'values of a subject and being arranged'in a group so that they adjoin one another as do adjoining pictures on an ordinary standard motion picture lm.

This being the case, the operating mechanism of the film handlingmeans is made such as to advanceV the film a distance corresponding to three-pictures, or one of said.

- series, each time fit is moved. In this particular, our mechanism will, in practice, differ from the standard film handling mechanism, the difference being in the distance or amount that the film is advanced at each movement. In handling the particular film which we have referred to, the aperture plate 17 is provided with three apertures 22, the apertures bearing the same relation to each other as do the pictures in each serieson the film F. f

The light distributing means 12, provided by our invention, is arranged between the source of light 10 and the film handling means 11,- and operates to receive the single shaft of light from the source of light and divide itinto three separate shafts which it directs through lthe apertures 22 and the film arranged at the apertures. The light distributing means 12 includes, generally, a first reflector 25, arranged at an angleof degrees in the path of the shaftof light coming horizontally from the source of light 10, a first light-dividing element, or light l. divider 26 located above thel refiector 25 to receive the light-,reflected upwardly by the reflector 25 and operable tov pass a -part of the light so that it continues. upwardly, and

reflect ofi' the rest of the light horizontally, a. second light, divider 27, arrangedv above the first light divider 26 adapted to receive;

the light passed by the first dividerl and operable to pass part of light so that it continues upwardly, and to Vreflectofl the balance horizontally, and\a.top or second reflector 28, arranged above the second divider to reflect the lightV passed by the tures and the film at thel apertures.A The l reflectors and dividers of the light distributing means may be mounted in a suitable carrier 30, which carrier may be suitably mounted on the frame 16 of the film handling means. In the form of construction shown in the drawings, the carrier is formed with spaced side walls 31 between which are mounted the reflectors and dividers. In the construction shown in the drawings the reflectors and dividers are mounted in individual frames 35, each frame being provided witha trunnion 36, rotatably carried in a bearing 37, adjustably mounted on one of the side walls 31 of the carrier. 'The bearings 37 are set in the desiredadjusted l position on the side wall by suitable'screws 38, while' the trunnions 36 are setri'n",l the desired rotative position in the bearings 37 by clamp lscrews 39. By this construction the refiectors and dividers are shiftable bodily through movement of the bearings, and are rotatable through movement of the trunnion in the bearings, so that they can be accurately adjusted and. set vinrproper operating position. y Y v Y The light reflectors' 25 and 28 hereinabove referred to .may be'of any construction or formation suitable for performing the func- A tions mentioned. Likewise, the light dividers 26 and 27, may be of any construction or formation which willaccomplish the function stated. In practice, we can em' ploy silvered glass plates for the light dividerl 26, and a partially, or thinly silvered glass plate for the divider 27. To withstand heat the-refiectors may be fused silica and the dividers may be mica.

The carrier hereinabove described may be mountedon the frame 16 of the film handling means in variousmanners. `In the'construction shown in the drawings, the carrier is pivotally mounted at one side of the frame 16 by a shaft 16a and is normally held -in operating position by a ref.

leasable catch device 40. With this construction, the carrier can be conveniently swung out Vof position at the fihn handling V-means when it is desired to handle the lmv or make repairs to the film Vhandling means.

Further, with this construction a tension plate or shoe 41 may be mounted on the carrier top engage the lm and hold it in proper operating position at the aperture plate when the carrier is closed.

The optical system 13 provided by our invention, is arranged to receive the light projected through the several pictures on the film F-and to direct it onto a screen so that the lseveral projected pictures are. in perfeet register at ,the screen. In the particular form of .construction shown in the drawings the optical system is embodied in, or carried by frame 16 of the film handling means, and includes, generally, a prism 50,

l arranged to offset in a horizontal direction the middle shaft of light, that is, the shaft reflected off byv the second light divider 27. The optical system, in addition to this ofi'- setting prism 50, includes individual lens in Fig. 5 of the drawings is formed with a L-vertically disposed lsilvered face 54, a1'- ranged at anangle of degrees in the path of the shaft of light, passing through the middle aperture 22, and with a second vertically disposed silvered face 55, parallel to the face 54, and offset horizontally from the face 54 the distance it is desired to offset the shaft of. light. The prism is arranged with relation to the aperture 22 so that the light passing through the aperture enters one side of the prism, falls vupon the face 54, is reflected thereby horizontally at right angles to the direction it enters the prism onto the face 55, which reflects it off through the other side of the prism in the same direction that it entered the prism. By'thus offsetting the shaft of light passing throughn the center apert-ure and the center picture of the series'of -pictures on the film, the several shafts are spaced so that thereI is sufficient room to pass veach shaft Athrough an individual lens device 51 of standard form. If the shaftsarenotspaced inthismanner, serious difficulties arise in the arrangement of the lens device. In the preferred arrangement, the offset lens, device, that is, the one which possesses the shaft of light oH'set by the prism, is mounted stationary,

while the other two lens devices are mounted so that they are adjustable. Corrective prisms 60,are mounted on or with the adjustable lens devices to bring the shaft of li ht passing through them into register at te screen with the shaft of light passing through the stationary lens device. The movableor adjustable lens devices 51 are pivotally mounted on asingle pivot pin 71, located so that itsl axis coincides with the central axis of the shaft of light passing through the center aperture. Suitable means are provided for setting the movable le\ns,devices in the desiredrotative positions.- In the construction shown in the drawings one of the lens devices is adjustably held by a screw 72 adapted to 'be set/'by a lock nut 73, while the other lens device is adjustably held by an arm 74 that can be set `by a screw 75. Each of the corrective prisms y is carried by a suitable frame 76 rotatively mounted on the outer end of one of the movable lens devices. By this construction the movable lens devices 51 can be adjusted about the pivot pin 7l and the corrective prisms 60 can be ladjusted on the r,lens 'devices'so that the pictures thrown on the screen through the movable lens device can be movedvertically and horizontall into perfect register with the picture t rown on the screen through the stationary lens device.

In accordance with our invention we provide means whereby the light projected through the several different pictures onto the screen is colored, corresponding to the colorsy to which the pictures correspond. For instance, in the case of the film hereinabove described, the three pictures of each series are of three different color portions orvalues of a common subject. Ve will consider one of the pictures,'for instance, the uppermost of the series as being of the violet portion of the sub'ect, the lowermost picture of the series as eing of the green portion of the subject and the middle picl ture of the series as being of the orange portion of the subject. With this particular film we provide means in the projector whereby the light projected from the uppermost movable lens device is violet, while that projected from the lowermost lens device is green and that projected through the stationary or middle lens device is orange.

In accordance with the broader aspects of our invention the light filtering means whereby the said color values are obtained, may be embodied in, or applied, to, the apparatus in various manners. In Figs. 2, 5 and 6 of the drawings we show color filters 80, 81'and 82 arranged between the second reflector 28 and the two light dividers and the aperture plate so that the filter 80, which 100 is a violet filter, filters the light passing from the second` reflector 28 through the aperture, while the filter 81, which is an orange filter, filters the light passing from the reflector 28 through the center aperture, 105 while the filter 82, which is a green filter, filters the light passing from the divider 26 through the lowermost aperture. Another arrangement that may be employed in place of that just described, is the application of 110.

silver to the light divider 27 in a very thin body so that the light passing through vthe divider is violet, in which case the violet filter 80 is notv necessary. Further, the filters to which we have referred may be .ar- U5 ranged at various points in the apparatus. For instance, they may be arranged at, or embodied in the optical system; for instance, the proper color filters may be applied to the lens devices 51. In Fig. the drawings we illustrate a color filter 90, applied to one of the lens devices and have shown the color filter 90 in combination wth a corrective prism 60. In the particu- 4lar construction illustrated the filter 90 is 125 7 of 12ov sired, as well as will the arrangement first described. In addition to the elements herein so far mentioned it is desirable to provide a plano concave lens 93 between the condensor lens l5 and light distributing means 12, to spread the rays'o'f the shaft of light coming from the condenser lens slightly, so that they are as nearly as possible parallel. Further,

the usual shutter 95 which operates to cut off -the light from the screen during the periods of film' movement, is embodied in thev projector, it being preferred to arrange the shutter between the condenser lens 15. and

rangement the shutter moves with the car rier and always `-stays in proper timed relation.

Having described only `a typical preferred form of our invention we do not wish to limit ourselves to the specific details set forth, but -wish to reserve to ourselves any changes or variations that may appear to those skilled in the art or fall within the scope of the following claims:

Having described our invention, we claim:

`V In a projector for handling a film carrylng a serles of pictures each series including three pictures, means for directing shafts of light passed through the pictures onto a screen in register embodying, two lens devices directly in the path o f two of the shafts of light, a third lens deviceoifset from the path of the third shaft of light, and means for offsetting said third shaft vof light to pass through saidthird lens device.

2. In a .projector for handling a film car-v rying series of pictures each series including three pictures, means `for directing shafts of. llght being passed through one of the series of pictures onto a screen in register embodying lens devices in the path of the shafts of lightv passing through the end pictures of the'series and a third lensv device odset from the shaft of Vlight passing throu hthe middle picture, Aand means vfor o setting the,

shaftv of light passed through the middle` picture so thatl it .passes through the third] means for offsetting said third shaft of light vto pass through said third lens device, and l prisms in connection with the lensV device to` lens device.

In a projector for handling a film carrying a series of pictures each series including three pictures, means; for directing shafts oflight'beingpassed through one of the series of pictures onto a screen in register embodying lens devices in the pathg of.-

the Shafts of light passing through the end pictures of the series and 'a third lens device offset from the shaft of light lpassing through the middle picture, and a prism for offsetting the shaft of light passed through the middle picture so that it passes throug the third lens device.

4. In a projector for handling a lilm carrying a series of pictures each series including three pictures, means for directing shafts'o'f light passed through the pictures onto a screen in register embodying, two

lens devicesdirectly in the path of two of the shafts of light, athird lens device ofset fromthe path of the third shaft of light, and means for odsetting said third shaft of light to pass through said third lens device, the lens device includingmeans whereby the shafts of light passed through them are adjustable into register on a screen.

5. In a projector for handling a film carrying a series of pictures each series including three pictures, Ameans for directing shafts of light passed throughthe pictures onto a screen in register |embodying', two lens devices directly in the path of two of the shafts of light, a third lens device offset from the path of the third shaft of'- light, and means for offsetting said third shaft of light to pass through said third lens device, said third lens device being in set position and said two lens devices being adjustable relative to the third lens device to bring the shafts passing through the lens devices into register ona screen.

' 6. In a'projector for handling `a film car- -rying a series of pictures'each series including three pictures, means for directing shafts of light passed through the pictures onto a screen in register embodying, two lens devices directlyin the path of two'of the shafts of light, a third lens device offset from the path of the third shaft Aof light, and means for' offsetting said third shaft of light to pass through said third lens device,

the lens devices being mounted `so that their axes are parallehand being provided with means wherebyffthe" shaftsof light passing through the 'leiis. A devices are thrown into register on the screen.-

7. In a projectorfor'handling afilmvcarrying a vseries of pictures each series including three pictures, means for directing shafts of light passed through thepictures onto ascreen in register embodying, two

lens devices directly in the path of tw'o' of the shafts; of light, a third lens device oii'set from the path of theth-ird shaft of light,

rying a seriesof pictures each series including three pictures, means for directing shafts of light passed through the pictures onto a screen 4in register embodying, two lens devices directly in the path of the '5 shafts of light passing through the end ictures of the series, a third lens device o set from the shaft of light passing through the middlepicture of the series, means for olisetting the shaft of light passed through the l middle picture of the series so that it passes j through said third lens device, the lens devices being mounted so that their axes are parallel so that the third lens device is stationary and the said two lens devices shitable, and prisms in connection with said two lens devices causing the shafts of light passing through them to fall in register with the shaft of light passing through said third lens device. 9. In a projector for handling a film carrying a plurality of series of pictures each series including three pictures, a single source of light, a ilm handling mechanism, `means for receiving light from said source 26 and directing it in ,three separate shafts through the three pictures of a series on the iilm, and means for projecting said shafts of light onto a screen in register including lens devices in line with the shafts of light 30 p assing through the end pictures of the series, an offset lens device offset from the shaft o'li ht passing through the middle picture of tie series and means for olsettin p the shaft of light passing through the midg- 85. dle picture of the series so that it passes through said offset lens device.

10. In a projector for handling a film carl g a series of pictures each including t ree pictures arranged longitudinally on 40 the film, a source of light'means divlding the light from the source 'into three separate shafts of li ht in close proximity to each other and directing themthrough the pictures of a series, lens devices receiving the shafts of light after passing the lman directing the shafts of llght on to a Screen, one of the lens devices being offset with relation to the others, and means between the lilm and the offset lens device for offsetting one of the shafts of li ht so that it passes through the offset lens device. In witness that we claim'the foregoing we have hereunto subscribed our names this 3rd day of May, 1926. j 5 WALTER L. WRIGHT. STANTON M. WRIGHT. 

